Chapter 3: Danger At Every Turn
Cold! This word perfectly summed up the world Vex had wound up in....it was also the word he would use to describe the temperature of the river he had jumped into. However, though it was admittedly cold, it was the least of his worries as the river swept him up in its current. Due to how the river was, the current was actually quite strong and didnt allow him to do much steering or even surfacing to take a gasp of air so he had no choice but hold his breath and hope that the he would come across a point where he could reach the surface and take a quick inhale of much needed oxygen. To be honest this was quite a stupid decision on his own part, jumping from a waterfall into a fast moving river without bothering to check his options first, definitely idiotic. However in a do or die situation, Vex wasnt the best at making the best judgements, it was very hard for him to pick out the correct option that would probably save his life.
Thirty seconds had past so far and the river didnt seem to be slowing down any, Vex having tried many times to head to the surface but his legs didnt seem to want to move leaving him helpless as the swift current kept carrying him further along. After a minute had past, Vex felt his lungs begging for air and the time for which he needed oxygen was drawing closer and closer. He wasn't sure how long Pikachu could hold his own breath but he was almost positive that he needed to breath soon as well, if not sooner then him. It was only a matter of time before his lungs gave out and he ended up inhaling water, drowning them both and becoming food for whatever Pokemon dwelled in these waters. He wanted to pull out squirtle from his bag but that would require two hands and letting go of Pikachu which he didn't even consider an option.
Luck seemed to smile on him though as something caught on his shirt, slowing him down to a near stop as the water continued to rush past at a rapid pace. The object tugged hard on his shirt as if attempting to pull him out, lifting Vex's spirits as he tried kicking his legs to swim towards whatever was tugging at his shirt. Miraculously, he moved, and with the aid of the yanking on his shirt, he eventually broke the surface with Pikachu raised over his head. Pikachu began coughing out water from its mouth, its eyes opening slowly. Vex looked around before finding a solid looking rock to the left of him and, using the now hard pulling sensation from his shirt, began swimming over to it. The rock was situated next to the shore and Vex was able to transfer over from it onto the land.
Though he wanted to do nothing more then pass out and take a long nap, Vex had to make sure that Pikachu was okay. He had actually grown a bit attached to Pikachu, seeming as if he'd be a good companion to have around. Fortunately for him it appeared that the small yellow mouse had merely passed out for the time being. Breathing a sigh of relief, Vex fell back and lay down next to the small mouse-like creature, feeling very tired and more then a bit fatigued, the fact that he he still had his backpack even if it was soaked being the only comfort to an otherwise horrible day. A sharp pain near the top of his shirt however was the only thing that kept him awake as he sat back up with a bit of difficulty and reached behind him.
The object that had been pricking his back turned out to be a fishing hook with a line still attached to it. It was this appliance that had saved his life and without it he would've no doubt died in the river, killed in this world without even being here for a full day. That would've been a pathetic way to go out, and it told him that he either needed to get stronger or needed to get smarter or maybe both. He was lost in thought, holding the hook in his hand when a shout rang out.
"Hey, kid!" Came a female voice, clearly sounding very irritated. "You think you could let go of my fishing hook?" Vex turned to his left and saw a young girl around 14 to 15 years old walking towards him. This was the first person he had seen in this world that wasn't an old man and he was mentally excited, but managed to keep a cool outer appearance. The girl was shorter then him, about two inches smaller to his own 5'8 stature and seemed rather tomboyish. She wore a yellow tank top that was a bit short for her to the point of almost being a basic crop top and a pair of shorts that reached midthigh along with a pair of red suspenders that served no purpose except for style. She had orange colored hair, viridian colored eyes and what would probably been a pretty face except that it was currently twisted into a scowl as she approached him.
"This is YOUR fishing hook?" Vex asked her curiously. If what she said was true then common courtesy dictated that he thanked her for saving his life. "This fishing line literally just saved my life and the life of my Pikachu here so I greatly thank you for your help Miss Crop top." He gave a slight bow before picking up his Pikachu and placing it in his lap. He was indeed very grateful and giving her a nickname was his way of showing it as he never just casually gave out nicknames to people he just met. While she did seem a tad bit annoying, Vex would have no doubt died if not for her so he had no right to complain. He truly was grateful even if she hadn't saved his life on purpose.
An expression other then anger appeared on the girls face when she saw the small yellow mouse and she immediately knelt down next to Pikachu to take a closer look at it. She seemed pretty disturbed about it as she reached out to touch it but stopped an inch away before retracting her hand. "You should take it to a Pokemon center before you even think about doing anything else." She stood up and pointed to her left, indicating which way the Pokemon center was. "Hurry up or things could worsen with your Pikachu."
"Okay, but whats a Pokemon Center?" Vex asked as he tried to recall the two hour lecture on Pokemon trainers. However apart from how to make money and taking on gyms, he had only heard about Pokemon Centers in passing. Given the circumstances however, it would stand to reason that it was a sort of hospital for Pokemon.
"You don't...but," the girl seemed to he at a loss for words. Whether is was due to his own lack of knowledge or because she was having an aneurysm, Vex was unclear. However, when the girl did speak, she was most definitely irritated and totally pissed off. "I'm not gonna explain it to you!!! Just run straight and you can't miss it. NOW GO!!"
Vex, finally spurred on by the urgency in her tone, picked up Pikachu in his arms and ran up the slope with his wet shoes slipping and sliding everywhere. He was about halfway up when he saw it, a bright red bike that looked rather new with black handlebars and a silver basket in the front of it. He wasn't going to take it, feeling that he didn't really need to take something from someone who just saved his life even though she hadn't meant to. However he was reminded why he had originally been running in the first place as a choir of screeching bird cries filled the air once again followed by a rumble of thunder.
Vex glanced back as he ran, and saw a huge almost completely black storm cloud heading in his direction at a alarming rate. Though he wasnt entirely worried about the storm, what worried him was the group of bird Pokemon headed straight for him. It was a stretch to say that they were coming this way just for him as he doubted any creature in this world could hold that much of a grudge against a little hit with a rock. It was much more likely that the rumble of thunder and the approaching storm was pushing them towards him, but he knew that once they laid eyes on him they would most likely remember him and begin to attack in earnest. With Pikachu out for the count, he didn't even have a choice of fighting back, having no chance in a fist fight with birds that could fly out of his reach. He could use Leonardo to fight them off but if that failed then he and his Pokemon would be screwed over, dead then and there.
"I freakin hate this world!!!" He shouted out loud. He glanced at the bike again and cursed under his breath before rushing over to it and placing Pikachu inside of the basket. "Hang on Pikachu, I'll definitely get you to a Pokemon Center if its the last thing I do!" He rolled the bike onto the pathway and started to climb on.
"Hey you dumbass, thats my bike," Yelled the orange haired girl, waving her arms furiously as she started running up the slope, though it was pretty clear that she wouldnt catch up in time to stop him and this fact obviously pissed her off even more as a look of seething rage appeared over his face.
"I'm sorry Miss Crop top, but I'm gonna need to borrow this since more then one life is at stake here." Vex climbed onto the bike and began pedaling. "Just head to the nearest Pokemon center and find me there, I'll return it to you." He then faced forward and began pumping his legs for all he was worth, his adrenaline and his desire to live until tomorrow spurring him onwards. Every single thought that didn't involve pushing his legs and escaping from the screeching of the birds was erased as he sped along the path that the girl had pointed. If he just kept going straight he was sure he'd make it there eventually, but whether or not the birds beat him was still under debate as the sound drew increasingly closer.
Vex glanced behind him and saw that the birds had almost reached him so he pushed harder, giving all he had and more to pedal the bike to greater speeds, and succeeded in furthering the distance between himself and the flock. This didnt last very long however as the short burst of speed was used up and the birds were almost on top of them once again.
It was then that the storm reached them, the rain suddenly pouring down as if someone had flipped a switch. It was cold, the sudden increase in wind only adding to the biting chill of the drenching rain. The rain wasnt much of a problem at first, but in as few as thirty seconds the rain became a real pain in his ass.
The rain was coming down in sheets, and with the wind blowing the opposite direction from which he was going, not only did it blind him, it slowed him down by a large margine. The pounding rain began to soak into ground and made the dirt road wet, reducing the friction the tires had on the floor. All of these things slowed him down almost to a complete stop, but he powered through it as best he could, never stopping even when the birds caught up with them and began to stab at him with their beaks and scratch at him with their claws. Vex continued onwards until, by some miracle, he saw lights in the far off distance, giving him newfound energy as he pushed himself onwards finding a whole new level of strength.
The birds kept screeching amd scratching and the rain kept falling but no matter what happened, Vex's legs never stopped moving as he grew closer and closer to the lights. It might've been his imagination but Vex felt like that the closer he got to the lights, the less birds there were attacking him. He was only a hundred feet away from the first light when the bike hit a tree root and sent both him and Pikachu flying forward. Though the landing was rough and he felt like he was about to faint, Vex rolled on the ground and jumped straight back up, picking up Pikachu, placing him in the basket and riding once more in the blinding rain. The birds at this point were hardly attacking and seemed to even be retreating away from them as Vex passed the first light which turned out to be a house.
Vex laughed softly to himself as he kept riding the bike forward, but with less and less strength. He didn't realize it but he had rode over four miles in the rain with bird Pokemon attacking him while pushing himself to his maximum limit. This combined with the ebbing adrenaline forced him to a full stop as both he and Pikachu crashed to the floor.
Vex attempted to rise to his feet, but found that even his arms which were scratched, clawed, and scraped, were unable to muster up enough strength to push himself even a bit upright. He eventually gave up trying and pulled Pikachu closer to him, hugging him to his chest as the rain kept coming down in sheets, pouring over the tow of them as Vex eventually passed out.
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At the same time that Vex nearly drowned, a group of three garbed in black clothing moved stealthily through the alleyways of Viridian City. No sound could be heard as the trio traveled swiftly down the intersecting blocks where not a single soul bothered to roam. As this maze of alleys contained nothing substantial or lead to anything in particular, it was widely deserted and became a popular spot for drug deals and gang meeting points. As of this moment however, there wasn't anyone but these three figures who, after scanning the area, took up root in the area.
"This spot should do," The lead figure said, the feminine voice and bright red hair was all that was discernable, every inch of her covered from head to toe. "Spectre #3, radio in the boss. Relay our coordinates and get the go ahead for the mission."
The smallest of the three, standing a foot and half tall, nodded before reaching into the bag that the taller one beside him carried. What he pulled out was a device akin to a high-tech laptop with three buttons on the outside. Setting the device on the floor, Spectre #3 pressed a few keys, turning on the screen.
While the small figure was powering it on, the female figure stood near the alley entrance, her head poking around the corner every so often. A sort of killing aura permeated the air around her, bloodlust so thick that it was almost tangible. If some unfortunate soul were to find themselves walking down the alley at this moment, it would be safe to assume their life would be forfeited, their breath stolen before they even had a chamce to register.
After about a minute of fiddling with the laptop, Spectre #3 pulled up a picture of a unidentifiable man. No details about the person could be made out as the majority of his face was blurred and distorted, preventing the figures from clearly pinpointing his shape of form. When the man talked, even his voice came out in a way that no possible human could ever sound, deep and low with a intimidating echo. "Team Alpha, I assume you have located the target that we have discussed previously?"
"Spectre #2 reporting in with Team Alpha," The figure beside Spectre #3 said, kneeling down to the screen. Besides the blue roots of the mans hair, there were no visible marks to pick him out from a crowd. "We have indeed aquired the coordinates for item #203. According to our spies, the item was shipped here from the Pewter Museum of Science located in Pewter City. A man by the name of David Babao, an up and coming professor in the tutelage of Professor Oak, purchased it in hopes of studying it."
Spectre #1 walked away from the alley entrance and knelt down by the screen, showing her face as well. "Said item has been kept at the local Pokemon center for about a week now. We can retrieve it at any given moment. The most optimal time would be tonight. Awaiting your orders Sir."
The distorted man was silent for about a minute before he finally responded. "I want that item at any cost. If someone gets in your way then feel free to eliminate them if the need arises. You know how I feel about mistakes. As to how and when you retrieve the item, I shall leave it up to your discretion."
The three Spectres gave a bow to the man before the image disappeared and the screen of the laptop went blank.
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